Ahmad Zahid: Satirism is not a Malaysian culture

KUALA LUMPUR: Satirism is not a Malaysian culture and those who are knowledgeable should not use their intelligence to belittle others Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

He said media companies should not use “intellectual egoism” on sensitive matters that may cause further harm to the society.

He said this in reference to the actions taken by the Home Ministry towards a specific media agency, which has since apologised for their actions.

“If we are someone who is knowledgeable and we only use it to poke fun at another person, even if it’s called satire, that’s intellectual egoism.

“Maybe it is allowed and considered ethical in other cultures but it is not the Malaysian culture,” he said during a press conference after giving a lecture at the Intan Public Policy Ministerial Forum Session today.

A cartoon depicting Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and Pas President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang as two monkeys sitting on a tree named “Act 355”, while a group of monkeys fight under it, was published by Chinese Daily Nanyang Siang Pau on April 9.

The daily has apologised since then and admitted that the cartoon was inappropriate for public viewing.